Ump union wants to negotiate background checks

By Jon Heyman, SI.com

Major League Baseball umpires are balking at the league's stated intention to do new and extensive background checks on all umpires following the gambling allegations involving NBA referee Tim Donaghy.

"We understand the need in light of what's taken place. But we feel we just don't need to have a knee-jerk reaction and a witch hunt,'' Lamell McMorris, spokesman for the World Umpires Association (WUA), told SI.com.

MLB officials said in response to the umpires' public complaint that they had been attempting to negotiate with the umpires but that those discussions broke off over a financial demand. Rob Manfred, the MLB's chief negotiator, characterized the talks now as "contentious'' and lamented their "bad start'' with the new umpires' union.

"The discussions broke down over one and only one issue, and that was the WUA's demand that we make an economic concession in return for the members being forthcoming on what we regard to be an integrity issue,'' Manfred said in a conference call with reporters in response to the umpires' stated disenchantment.

The umpires started the public dialogue Monday by complaining about MLB's request for more monitoring.

"We feel this should be negotiated and discussed,'' said McMorris, whose company Perennial Strategy took over as the MLB umpires' lead rep only a week ago, injecting themselves into what he described as a "perfect storm.''

'We're not going to give our cooperation. Let's get back to the negotiating table,'' McMorris said. "Let's make it a fair and transparent process for all involved.''

But Manfred said they believe the dispute is all about economics.

Manfred said MLB officials are "offended" over the idea of "trading economics against integrity." Manfred agreed that the proposed increase of background checks came in the wake of the NBA's troubles but said MLB continually monitors its employees, including umpires. MLB would like to ramp up its monitoring, with credit checks as the "core'' element, according to Manfred.

The umpires responded to the request for increased monitoring with several concerns and a proposal that included an increase from six to seven umpires for postseason games. That's the economic request that caused talks to break off, according to Manfred.

MLB currently uses six umpires for postseason games, two more than for regular-season games, but there are no alternates available as potential replacements. McMorris said it would involved a very small amount of money for baseball.

"We've put forth a proposal that has to do with the safety of umpires,'' McMorris said, explaining they'd like alternates available for postseason games in case of injury to the working umpires. "It's not that we've put forth an economic component. It's for everybody's benefit. It's a win-win. We're not asking for a 20 percent increase. We're trying to help the game.''

McMorris, who said MLB umpires have never had extensive checks done on them by baseball previously, met last week with Manfred, the executive vice president for labor and human resources, to express concerns about baseball's plan. McMorris cited as an example MLB's goal to investigate all umpires, even a 31-year veteran such as Ed Montague.

"'We're not going to give our cooperation. Let's get back to the negotiating table,'' McMorris said. "Let's make it a fair and transparent process for all involved.,'' McMorris said.

Rich Levin, spokesman for MLB and the commissioner's office, disputed McMorris' characterization of MLB's goals as a "witch hunt.'' Said Levin, "To call these checks witch hunts while we're trying to protect the integrity of the game is totally misguided. We monitor the activities of all MLB personnel, including umpires. We conduct background checks consistent with the labor agreement and will continue to do so.''

WUA general counsel Brian Lam expressed the union's concerns in a letter he sent to Manfred on Monday and which was obtained by SI.com.

Wrote Lam: "... the World Umpires Association is concerned about the following aspects of the Commissioner's planned investigations, among others:

• "The nature, type and scope of information that you intend to gather on the umpires.

• "The sources, legitimate and otherwise, from which you intend to collect the information.

• "The persons who will have access to the information once it is collected.

• The vendors and consultants who will assist you in collecting and reviewing the information.

• "The frequency with which you plan to conduct the investigations.

• "The uses to which the information will be put.

• "The process by which Major League Baseball, the World Umpires Association, and the affected umpires will address any concerns that might arise from the information.

• "The protections that will be put in place to ensure that the information is not misused or publicly disclosed.

• "The safeguards that will be adopted to ensure that umpires will not be subject to disciplinary or other adverse job actions stemming from or based upon any of the information."

Manfred said MLB answered a number of the WUA'S concerns at the bargaining table and insisted that economics was at the heart of their disagreement.